The trail is open even in the winter months, making it a fun year-round trail. Get the full details on how to do this in our One Day Canyonlands and Arches Itinerary. We have a jeep and 3 dogs. One Day Canyonlands and Arches Itinerary. I can't describe the relief I felt once we made it to the bottom. Ranger Paul Downey was the Incident Commander. It is a popular photo spot for many because the Shafer Switchbacks are unique and make for a fun picture. Death Road is a lethal journey in the Bolivian Yungas region . The 1st mile down from the rim was a bit white-knuckled due to the drop, but easily doable and well worth it. Stupid question. Shafer Trail Viewpoint - National Park Service Welcome to CS Ginger! Going left will continue on the Shafer Trail, and going straight will put you onto the White Rim Road. Hardly anyone on the road until the end when reaching Moab. x][~p/{Ni7/}d;b-A,%dRHf=,Gj~b5U;}A?6b~5D;4pC~y8}7?/O>9=zK={I>Ok+z.;==Ph: I personally do not think a 4WD is necessary, but high clearance is definitely a must to avoid damaging your vehicle. This is one of the most spectacular, scenic. Pets may be transported inside vehicles only. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. There is a vault toilet at the intersection of the White Rim Road and the Shafer Trail. Each year, hundreds of visitors experience the thrill of driving down the winding sandstone cliff to the basin below. The final scene of the movie Thelma and Louise, when they drove off of the cliff, was not filmed in the Grand Canyon. Hair-Raising Drives In The National Park System Shafer Road Utah - most dangerous road in USA Andy Renard 3.19K subscribers 50 4.6K views 4 years ago Shafer Canyon Road in Canyonlands, Utah, USA. Heres how to do it. Remember, unlike in the past, high-clearance, 4WD vehicles with low gear settings (4LO) are highly recommended to traverse this route. Points of Interest & Landmarks Lookouts, An incredible ride, not for the faint of heart. Amazing views! Enjoy!!e. Again, if it were my vehicle, true 4WD with 4 low to save your brakes. We were definitely unprepared and did not know what we were getting into. I would not attempt it as it is quite a dangerous road and quite challenging especially with a caravan I would only attempt it with a good 4 wheel drive, and it would be a challenge even for a 4WD especially in bad weather at night etc. While we never bottomed out, one of us had to get out on several occasions to scout the road ahead for the best path. After you turn left onto the Shafer Trail (AKA Potash Road), you will descend and shortly cross a small river bed. If youre in the Moab area and you are okay with some puckering at the beginning, its so worth it. We wanted to do some 4-wheeling and were told about this trail at the visitor's center so we decided to give it a try. Required fields are marked *. Take it slow and enjoy the views! Just take it slow.Once down, you still need to be in 4 wheel drive as the road can get quite bumpy and there are still a lot of places that require it for navigation. If you have any questions about this drive, or if you want to share your experience, you can do so in the comment section below. Dont forget to check out the White Rim area while you are there. We never would have made it out without the help of a plant worker!! The road from potash looks like a typical 4 wheel adventure and there are lots of great scenes and things to see wonderful rock formations etc. more Needles District Road Closures All Needles district 4x4 roads and Elephant Hill Access Road are closed and impassable due to severe weather. The petroglyphs are close to a popular rock climbing area. Turn right and in a few minutes, you will be in Moab. I had a death-grip on the interior bar/handle in the truck (also known as an "OH MY GAWD!!!" From here, you can see Shafer Canyon Road, the White Rim Road, Potash Road, and Dead Horse Point State Park. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will love driving Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road. You also must have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle. Drove in reverse from Canyonlands to Potash Rd, nothing technical. Definitely do not do without 4WD if it is wet/muddy though. Will be there next sep. with a classic SUV (Ford escape or similar). beautiful accessible 4x4 Rd, just need 6+" of clearance. If you drive into the park from the Shafer Trail, you can avoid the entrance station altogether. If you do the whole trail, which means you travel the Potash Road to Shafer Trail into the Canyonlands National Park or vis versa, you will see great Indian petroglyphs, Jug Arch, and the Poison Mesa Spider area. You will run into the Potash Road and the White Rim Road intersection at mile 5.2 if you set your odometer once you leave the pavement if starting in Canyonlands National Park. The Shafer Trail at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park is an iconic road that descends 1,500 feet (457 m) through a colorful, massive sandstone cliff. Damaged soils are prone to erosion and invasive species. It is the county seat of Goodhue County. Many other trails at Island in the Sky also bear names for the families who worked them. Shafer Trail is an awesome drive. Shafer Trail Closed The unpaved Shafer Trail road at Island in the Sky is closed due to winter conditions. Once the mining came to an end and tourism picked up, the road was further widened and maintained, and then became known as Shafer Canyon Road. These petroglyphs are about 5 miles down the Potash Road. When you do this, you will get to start at the Shafer Switchbacks, which are our favorite, but this can be risky because we have had to wait at the entrance station for a bit to get into the park. Learn more about Utah in our Utah Travel Guide and the United States in our United States Travel Guide. I also read your list of the 10 best things to see/do in Islands in the Sky District. There are a few important things to know when driving the Shafer Road in Moab, aside from the obvious of needing a four-wheel drive vehicle. An Analysis of Deaths in U.S. National Parks Posted October 20, 2022 in Safety On Sunday, October 4th, 2020, a 25-year-old-man fell to his death at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona. Both the permit and the high-clearance 4WD vehicle are enforced by the national park service. Beautiful views. ATVs, OHVs, or UTVs are not permitted inside the park. Some people like to start the trail at Potash Road because you can avoid the entrance fee station going into Canyonlands National Park. There were no muddy areasit was all a dry, dirt road with some rocky spots here and there. Tip 2: If there is rain in the forecast or if it has rained recently, make sure you call the visitor center to ensure the road has not closed. It is rated as a moderate trail, and on a scale of 1 to 10, would probably be rated as a 2 or 3 in terms of difficulty. The Corona Arch is a great hike and is highly recommended. How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the driving route). Just past the Petroglyphs around mile 5.8, you will run into the parking lot for the Poison Spider Mesa off-road trail. 2 0 obj An incredible ride, not for the faint of heart - Review of Shafer Trail Forgettaboutit. UTAH ITINERARY: In our Utah National Parks Road Trip Guide, we cover multiple ways to road trip through the national parks in Utah. At Mile 17, the road becomes Shafer Basin road. We recommend if you do it to start at the top and go down but it would be best to check at the Canyonland Visitor center with one of the rangers and get their input. But be careful not to go after any rain!! A little technical in some places but they just find in a Subaru. Any road in Moab that is not a paved road can be difficult to traverse in the rain. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Cars driving uphill have the right of way. The views are stunning the whole drive, and it's a nice way to break up some of the sight seeing and hiking as well. I refuse to do it again and I got nervous just watching the other vehicles that were on the trail. Do not recommend! To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to Your Places, click Maps, and you will see this map on your list. Today, the Shafer Trail is a challenging, unpaved backcountry road for recreational users seeking the experience of a lifetime Learn more about the White Rim Road in these three posts: Before you go, check road conditions on the National Park Service website. Did it in a rented Ford Taurus with 5.1" of ground clearance, so it is doable in a 2 wheel drive sedan if you have some testicular fortitude, are a good driver who knows where your tires are/understands how to approach rocks without bottoming out, and of course do not care about wear and tear on the vehicle. Started off at Canyonlands and went down into the valley and out Potash Road to Moab. It may take longer depending on how frequently you stop for photos. Most Dangerous National Parks in the U.S. | Fatal Accident Statistics How Can I Add on the White Rim Road to this Drive? So much fun to drive! [Steve Swanke, RISKY] In order to drive the Potash Road and Shafer Trail, you need to have a high clearance 44 vehicle, and it is recommended that it has 4 low. Have you seen photos of the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and said to yourself, wow, Id really love to drive on that road? The White Rim Road was constructed in the 1950's by the Atomic Energy Commission to gain access to the uranium deposits in this area. Can I drive my Dodge Caravan at Shafer Road. You can drive all the way to Moab!! At one point she did jump out of the truck and was convinced it would be easier to walk out..once she was on solid ground she did much better, but I did mention to her I thought the road would be better traveled on a donkey or llama. This section is a little more challenging as there are some small rock ledges you will drop down. Boaks was injured in a minor road traffic crash while getting off a bus. JUST DO IT! We took it with a FWD Kia SUV, and we had no problem whatsoever. We never needed to put our vehicle in 4WD for these two roads. It is a great overlook that lets you see the Shafer Switchbacks that you will drive down when you do decide to go on the Shafer Trail. F350 with dually top to bottom no problem, Full sized F350 with dually went from top to bottom. Every now and then I would try to look out down into the canyon just to try to overcome my fears and experience the views. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. We took the Shafer trail from Canyonlands all the way back to Moab. A road that humbles the wildest of egos. 99% of travelers recommend this experience. GOBLIN VALLEY: Goblin Valley is a small state park packed with unique rock formations thats a fun place to explore, especially for kids. As you follow the Shafer Basin Road past the Potash Ponds, the road will join up with Forest Road 142, which is the Shafer Trail. Your email address will not be published. We had to wait about an hour to get into Canyonlands one day. Day use permits are available up to 24 hours before your trip. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Shafer Canyon Road is a thrilling (scary) off road experience in UT This is a Jeep/4x4 trail t. Please stay on the trail so as not to disturb biological soil crust. Be prepared.it does jostle the neck around a bit! more, Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab. After that is was a fairly easy, though rough, drive back to the paved portion on Potash road. Distance: Approximately 18.2 miles. It takes roughly 2 hours to do this drive. Turn right onto the gravel road. To do this, you must have a permit for the White Rim Road. Winding "road of death" in Canyonlands National Parkthe Shafer Trail. Unbelievable and amazing views if the Colorado! We attempted it a few hours after it had rained and ended up driving through over a foot of water and some deep mud!! All 3 of us were very scared. Erkunde diese 31,5-Kilometer lange Strecke in der Nhe von Moab, Utah. With one day, you can drive Shafer Canyon Road, How to Drive the White Rim Road: Map, Photos & Driving Tips, White Rim Road: Detailed Guide & Planning Checklist, How to Drive the White Rim Road in One Day, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in one day, Hiking the Gooseberry Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Best Things to do in Island in the Sky: Canyonlands National Park. Utah-279 ends at Highway 191. My truck is a 2001 Dodge 2500 4whell drive. Cheers, Julie. If you chose to make the short add on to Goosenecks overlook off the White Rim Road, you WILL need a permit which is easy to get at the visitors center. If you want to visit both on the same day, visit Arches early. Good eyewe did this in early November, around November 9 or 10 I believe. Do make sure you check on the road conditions. In this photo, you can see Potash Road as it runs along the Colorado River. John Shafer is credited for improving the trail and making access into the canyon easier. So my girlfriend and I decided to get going and check this drive out. It took us about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do the whole thing with my husband's stock 2002 Ford Ranger, "Bessie II" (or "Elizabeth the Second" as I call her), who did a very good job when put into low 4X4. Looks like some of the rock overhangs are lowwill we have enough clearance? How Can I Add this on to My Visit to Canyonlands? Make sure your vehicle falls within these guidelines before you go. f6t,mHpS3Ej}j&;T )0n 7:L :}flFSn?ZCW:z9i&U+ l| Went in 2020 and this has become a near death story telling experience we share with friends lol. This is a rough road that eventually gives way to pavement. We drove the Shafer Trail in a jeep we rented from Moab Adventure Center and had an amazing time. You will drive down Potash Road until it turns into Forest Road 142, which is the Shafer Trail. Personal vehicle: $30 Motorcycle: $25 Cyclist/Pedestrian: $15 Shafer Trail. We never felt unsafe or scared when driving the Shafer Trail. To do this, you must have a permit. I personally would not, but it all depends on you of course. It looks like you'd need a 4 wheel drive vehicle but it's. I wouldnt do it again, nor recommend, but if youre a thrill seeker who likes living on the edge (literally) then youll love it! %PDF-1.5 4/28/2023. Yes, it is a bit steep at the top on the switchbacks. Past Thelma and Louise Point, the road heads away from the Colorado River and then goes past the Potash evaporation ponds. Many backcountry roads in the Moab area used for recreation today were improved by the Atomic Energy Commission. Shafer Trail, 1.007 Fotos - Utah | AllTrails Breathtaking views - well worth combining with Potash Rd. Directions Starting in Canyonlands National Park Just under 10 miles down Potash Road, you will find parking for the popular Bowtie Arch and Corona Arch. Is there a risk driving from the park to Thelmas & louise and back to the park ? We drove 2,5h by GMC Terain. Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information. Shafer Canyon Road starts near the visitor center of Canyonlands National Park. The hike to Corona Arch is 2.5 miles round trip and gets great reviews. If you have a high-clearance SUV you should be fine for this drive, just as long as it is not wet or snow-covered. No, you do not need a permit to drive these roads.
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